The use of various devices for after market insertion into the intake path of internal combustion engines is well know in the prior art. Such devices are alleged to increase fuel economy, improve torque and pulling power of a vehicle, improve throttle response, improve fuel atomization resulting in greater combustion efficiency, etc.
Historically, spacer plates, sometimes referred to as spacer blocks, were originally used to separate a conventional carburetor from the engine's intake manifold to provide for additional flow of the fuel/air mixture into the intake manifold, and ultimately into the internal combustion chamber of the engine found in automobiles. A review of previous inventions reveals that the number and size of passages in spacers is generally determined by the number and the size of the outlets and inlets in the carburetor, throttle body injector or throttle body, as opposed to the intake manifold of the application. Various other devices positionable between the carburetor and intake manifold of an internal combustion engine are used to intercept the air or air/fuel mixture. Generally, the devices operate on the flow by imparting an electrostatic charge, by physically chopping the mixture to more finely divide the fuel particles, and/or by manipulating the flow in some manner to change the flow of the mixture through the passage. In general terms, the number and size of passages in spacers is generally determined by the number and the size of the outlets and inlets in the carburetor, throttle body injector or throttle body, as opposed to the intake manifold of the application.
In past years, the carburetor was routinely fitted with an air cleaner to cleanse the incoming outside air, with such air cleaner attached directly to the carburetor device. The customary design involved a down-flow system and the distance between the air cleaner device and the intake manifold was relatively short and the use of the spacer plate increased the distance allow the incoming air/fuel charge, or wet mixture, to increase velocity prior to its' passage through the throttle control valve, and entry into the intake manifold. The second purpose was to provide heat insulation from the engine. Consistent with these goals, this generation of spacer plates served to improve the relative efficiency of the internal fuel combustion.
As automotive technology continued to develop through the years, the conventional carburetor was replaced by the throttle body injection unit which was more efficient in its introduction of fuel into the incoming air charge, while at the same time utilizing electronically controlled fuel injectors providing computer enhanced adjustment of the air/fuel charge, and other aspects of the internal combustion engines performance while the engine was in operation. This design allowed the injectors to introduce fuel into the incoming air stream, but before the air/fuel mixture, or wet mixture, passed through the throttle control valve and entered the intake manifold. As with the earlier carburetor configuration, the throttle body injector incorporated a down flow system and the distance between the air cleaner device and the intake manifold was relatively short. This era of spacer plate increased the distance allowing the incoming air/fuel charge, or wet mixture, to increase velocity prior to its' passage through the throttle control valve and to reduce heat transfer to from the heated intake manifold.
With the advent of more sophisticated electronic control devices, and more complex on board computers designed to increase the overall performance of the automobile, the next generation of throttle bodies incorporated a “dry system.” In basic terms, the incoming air first passed through an air cleaner which was customarily located some distance from the intake manifold. A tube or specially designed air passageway then transported the incoming air through the throttle control valve. The air then passed into the engines' specially designed intake manifold for introduction into the actual combustion chamber. Fuel was injected into the air charge immediately prior to its' entry into the combustion chamber for ignition.
As stated earlier, the use of a form of the spacer plate in an automobile is varied. By way of example of the “wet system” technology, U.S. Pat. No. 4,415,507 issued to Voliva discloses a throttle body spacer plate that incorporates a mixing valve for a fuel carburetor. U.S. Pat. No. 3,645,243 entitled, “Fuel Mixing and Vaporizing Device for Internal Combustion Engines,” issued to Ohlsson on Feb. 29, 1972, discloses a fuel mixing and vaporizing devise utilizing, among other things, the heat of the engine. U.S. Pat. No. 4,215,663 to Gaylord discloses an air fuel inlet device located within a throttle body spacer plate for an internal combustion engine. U.S. Pat. No. 4,667,648 to Beldin discloses a vaporizer within a throttle body spacer plate. U.S. Pat. No. 4,043,306 to Abbott discloses a carburetor throttle body spacer plate with a vapor fuel inlet. U.S. Pat. No. 4,086,899 to Gaylord discloses an air inlet device for an internal combustion engine. U.S. Pat. No. 4,711,225 to Holderle, et al, entitled, “Connecting Piece Between the Carburetor and the Combustion Chamber of an Internal Combustion Engine,” issued Dec. 8, 1987, discloses a connecting piece between a carburetor and the combustion chamber. U.S. Pat. No. 5,619,960 to Funk is a throttle body spacer plate kit consisting of the throttle body spacer plate itself, gaskets, and bolts for attaching said block to the internal combustion engine's intake manifold. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 6,338,335 issued to Patterson/Brown discloses a throttle body spacer plate for use in either a “wet system” or “dry system”. This device contained continuously grooved apertures alleged to swirl the incoming air, or air/fuel mixture, to increase the performance of an engine.
The above designs and uses of the throttle body spacer plate differ substantially from the present invention. Of the above, U.S. Pat. No. 4,086,899 to Gaylord, U.S. Pat. No. 4,215,663 to Gaylord, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,619,960 to Funk, though differing substantially from the present invention, reflect a similar stated purpose to improve automobile engine performance and efficiency. These devices alleged to decrease fuel consumption and exhaust emissions, while increasing horsepower and torque. These goals are achieved by improving the combustion of fuel through the mixture of fuel and air. U.S. Pat. No. 4,086,899 to Gaylord; U.S. Pat. No. 4,115,663 to Gaylord; U.S. Pat. No. 5,619,960 to Funk each use a throttle body spacer plate to increase air velocity, or use of an air/fuel inlet within the throttle body spacer plate structure to again mix the components for introduction into the intake manifold.
The present invention differs substantially in its design and function of prior throttle body spacer plates. The apertures found in the throttle body spacer plate described above in Funk, are smooth surfaces. The incoming air charge passes through these apertures into the intake manifold. The increased distance created by the spacing plate allows the incoming air charge to increase velocity as it enters into the intake manifold. Therefore, the throttle body spacer plate only provides “extra” space which allows the incoming air charge to increase velocity through inertia.
The main disadvantages of all throttle body spacer plates heretofore known are evident from their design. As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,338,335 issued to Patterson/Brown, the now standard use of fuel injection technology and dry air manifolds eliminate the need for air/inlet devices as found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,086,899 to Gaylord and U.S. Pat. No. 4,215,663 to Gaylord as they were developed for use in the then prevalent wet manifolds. U.S. Pat. No. 5,619,960 to Funk provides no means by which to either directly increase the velocity of the air charge or to turbinate the air charge. While U.S. Pat. No. 6,338,335 issued to Patterson/Brown alleged that a top to bottom helix groove both increased the velocity of the air charge and swirled the air flow, this device failed to address current trends in internal combustion engineering. As a practicle matter, wet system technology differs substantially from dry system applications. While Patterson/Brown claimed to introduce an turbulence to the incoming air, the resulting turbulence diminished the design characteristics of the engine manufacture's intake manifold and piston/combustion chamber design. In addition, as the air velocity increased, the device favored only the narrow low band RPM operating range, and became ineffective in the high band RPM operating range due to the lack the device's ability to generate proper and effective manipulation of the air flow.
The spacer plates heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of a throttle body spacer plate are known to consist basically of familiar, expected, and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the vast array of designs for any and all internal combustion engines encompassed by the crowded prior art that has been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Contrary to past developments in the internal combustion engine, recent developments in internal combustion design have been directed toward the major automobile manufactures' implementation of “fast burn” intake manifold and combustion technology in factory stock engines. The purpose of these developments was to deliver a more homogenous mixture directly into combustion chamber and delivering as much of the mixture as possible to the isolated volume of chamber space prior to and during ignition. Specific placement of the fuel mixture in this method results in a quicker and more complete burn. Factory engineered air flow patterns to promote rapid combustion are now generated through intake manifold design, and/or the structure and design of the piston and combustion chamber of the engine itself.
However, based on the prior art, the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art in scope and in function, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for preparation of the air for introduction of fuel immediately prior to the mixtures introduction into the combustion chamber with the purpose of increasing gas mileage, increasing horse power, increasing torque, and reducing emissions for any and all modern internal combustion engines. Additionally, the present invention is more compatible with existing intake manifold and piston/combustion chamber technology and works with, and not contrary to, the design and operational concepts of the engine manufacture.
Thus, there is an apparent need for an improved throttle body spacing plate that can increase gas mileage, increase horsepower, increase torque, and reduce emissions. Based upon these qualities, the present invention substantially fulfills these needs.